Random parking leading to traffic snarls on roads near the Tiruchi bus stand

Haphazard parking of buses at the central bus stand in Tiruchi has been causing frequent traffic congestion during peak hours

Haphazard parking of buses at the central bus stand in Tiruchi has been causing frequent traffic congestion during peak hours.

The terminus, which is spread over an area of 4.5 acres, has 77 bays with 2,500 buses being operated every day. The crew of both the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) and private operators park their buses in a haphazard manner near the terminus, creating bottlenecks which cause hardship to commuters trying to board the buses.

Adding to this, vehicles of visitors to commercial establishments in the area and the omnibuses are parked on the road. This slows down the vehicular movement. “The haphazard parking has not only hampers the free flow of traffic on the stretch during peak hours but also poses a threat to pedestrians,” said K. Shankar, a road user.

In order to access residential areas and commercial establishments near the terminus, the residents have to pass through the Kamarajar statue roundabout. However, commuters are put to hardship with buses occupying VOC Road, Rockins Road, and the service roads under the bridge near the Tiruchi Junction.

According to a source, most private buses arrive earlier than their allotted time and occupy the bay in the bus stand. This increases the density of traffic within the stand. As a consequence, there are traffic snarls on the roads near the bus stand.

“The buses occupy more than half the road and the unregulated parking leads to severe congestion. We hope the police take steps to regulate traffic,” said C. Balasubramanian, an activist.

A senior official of the traffic police said cases were being registered against buses parked on the road. Additional police personnel would be deployed on the stretch during rush hour to regulate parking, he added.